conditions assessment report pdf

Conditions Assessment Report Avary-‐Fulton House

Sean Yates HIST 8620

Georgia State University Fall 2015

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Cover Photo: Charlie McAnulty, 2015

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Avary-‐Fulton house is located at 205 South Columbia Drive, Decatur, Georgia,

and consists of the house, an outbuilding, and several archaeological features. The

vernacular Georgian type house was constructed in 1868. The house is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places as part of the Winnona Park historic district.

This conditions assessment report provides a physical written and photographic

description of the site and structure and provides recommendations for any issues

that were identified.

Rehabilitation of the house is the recommended treatment method. Many of the

issues that the house faces stem from moisture. There are gutters and downspouts

which need repair, mortar in the brick foundation that needs to be professionally

repointed, and the exterior of the house needs to be repainted throughout. There

are two instances of rotted wood that needs to be replaced. Additionally it is

recommended to add downspout extenders to those downspouts which do not have

them. Another recommendation is to have an arborist examine a large tree which is

leaning toward the northeast corner of the house.

All recommendations conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for

Rehabilitation. Please view the appendices for more information.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………………………….......3 TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………………………………..4 I. INTRODUCTION

a) BACKGROUND RESEARCH…………………………………………………………………………5

b) SITE AND SETTING……………………………………………………………………………………6

II. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION……………………………………………………………………..11 III. CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………….20 IV. MAINTENANCE……………………………………………………………………………………………..29 V. REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………….31 VI. APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………………………………32

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I. INTRODUCTION

This is a conditions assessment of the Avary-‐Fulton house located in Dekalb

County at 205 South Columbia Drive, Decatur, Georgia. The purpose of this

report is to provide a description of the property, identify the current

physical condition of the house, detail any issues that need repair and their

cause, and recommend repair methods and maintenance for the structure.

Figure 1: Location of Dekalb County in Georgia (Right); Decatur highlighted in red inside

Dekalb County (Left) (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decatur,_Georgia)

This assessment is based off data collected from a single site visit by Georgia

State University’s Conservation of Historic Building Materials class on

September 25, 2015. Other resources consulted are the 1973 Dekalb

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Heritage Trust form on the property and an interview with the current

tenants conducted the same day as the site visit. All measurements were

conducted by the students and professors. All photographs and sketches in

this conditions assessment were done by the author, unless otherwise noted.

Setting

The Avary-‐Fulton house lies within the Winnona Park National Historic

District in Decatur, Georgia. The Winnona Park historic district is located

south of downtown Decatur, west of Avondale Estates, and east of Oakhurst.

Surrounding land uses are predominantly residential, with the exception of a

commercial building directly across the street.

Site

The Avary-‐Fulton house is a vernacular Georgian type house with Greek

Revival and Victorian details. It is located at 205 South Columbia Drive,

Decatur, Georgia, approximately three-‐quarters of one mile southeast of

downtown Decatur. The site sits on the top of a hill with two acres of land,

and includes the home and a detached outbuilding. The outbuilding sits 55’-‐

1-‐½” from the kitchen on the north façade of the house. The primary façade

of the outbuilding measures 17’-‐6” wide. The home, which was completed in

1868, has been inhabited by the Fulton family for five generations. The

current home consists of the original house and the original detached kitchen

behind the house, which are now connected by a 20th century addition. The

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front façade of the house faces east toward South Columbia Street. It is

located just south of the intersection of South Columbia Street and the highly

travelled College Avenue. There is a spring which runs along the rear end of

the property behind the house.

Figure 2: Site Plan (not to scale)

There are several archaeological features present on the property. There is a

depression in the southwest corner of the rear yard. Also present is likely a

well in the brick patio at the rear of the house on the north façade. There is a

brick foundation present approximately 74’ from the rear entry of the house

on the west façade. Lastly, there is an arch near the spring that extends the

length of the rear yard, which measures approximately 227’ from the rear

entry of the house on the west façade.

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This conditions assessment report will provide a detailed description of the

Avary-‐Fulton house and site, along with numerous photographs of the

property. There is a comprehensive evaluation of the current conditions of

the home along with maintenance recommendations for any issues

identified. For this home, the recommended treatment option is

rehabilitation. According to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for

Rehabilitation, rehabilitation is defined as “the act or process or making

possible a compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and

additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its

historical, cultural, or architectural values.” This treatment option has been

selected because the options of preservation, restoration and/or

reconstruction do not fit the needs of this project.

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Figure 3: (Photo A1) Commercial building across the street (Photo courtesy of Aretha Hills, 2015)

Figure 4: (Photo A2) House from end of driveway (Photo courtesy of Aretha Hills, 2015)

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Figure 5: (Photo A3) Outbuilding (Photo courtesy of Aretha Hills, 2015)

Figure 6: (Photo A4) Arch near spring in rear yard (Photo courtesy of Nicole Gilbert, 2015)

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II. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

There is a gravel driveway which leads up to the northeast corner of the

house from South Columbia Street. This is not the original driveway. The

house features a side-‐gabled roof with two brick chimneys on either side of

the interior of the house, not on the exterior walls of the house. The chimneys

appear to be constructed of more modern brick, perhaps dating to the turn of

the century. The roof and flashing appear to be new, appoximately ten years

old. The roof was originally a hipped roof but was converted to a side-‐gabled

roof in the early 20th century. The east façade faces the street and contains

the front entry door to the house. The east façade measures 45’-‐8” wide from

north to south. There is a front porch with a shed roof and Craftsman-‐style

wood columns. The columns feature Victorian gingerbreading at the tops.

There are two brick steps leading up to the front porch which appear to be

the same brick as that in the chimneys. The flooring of the porch appears to

be new. The siding on all façades consists of tongue-‐and-‐groove clapboard,

which has been painted white. The reveal of the clapboard is 5-‐½”. The nails

used were rectangular cut nails.

The front entry door on the east façade is constructed of wood. The door

features a transom with four lights and sidelights with three lights. There is

flush boarding present underneath the front door. The east façade consists of

three bays and it is two stories tall. The top story features six-‐over-‐six-‐light

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double-‐hung sash windows. The windows feature wood shutters with rising

butt henges. The windows also feature drip caps. The bottom story features

one double door on either side of the front door. Each double door consists of

three vertical lights. Wood shutters with rising butt henges are present on

each double door. There are gutters on the front porch but they are not

present on the roof of the east façade of the house. The gutters on the porch

empty into downspout extenders which direct water away from the house.

There are corner boards on either side of the east façade with capitals at the

top, resembling pillasters.

Figure 7: (Photo A5) East façade of house (Photo courtesy of Phil Gonzalez, 2015)

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Figure 8: (Photo A6) Gingerbreading on front porch (Photo courtesy of Stacy Rieke, 2015)

The north façade consists of the north façade of the original house, the

addition, and the original kitchen. The entire north façade measures 60’-‐9”

wide. The original house on the north façade measures 35’-‐8” wide and 31’-‐

9-‐ ¼” high. The north façade of the orignal house features three bays and

two-‐and-‐one-‐half stories. The bottom two stories feature two six-‐over-‐six-‐

light double-‐hung sash windows. Unlike the east façade, there are no shutters

present, however, hangers where shutters appear to have once existed

remain. The top story features one set of two six-‐over-‐six-‐light double-‐hung

sash windows. The windows on the top story are located between the two

bays of the bottom stories. The windows of the north façade feature drip

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caps. There are no gutters present on the north façade of the original house.

There is newer clapboard on the top story where the original hipped roof

once covered. There are corner boards on either side of the north façade of

the original house with capitals at the top, resembling pillasters.

The north façade of the addition sits back 4’5” from the north façade of the

orignal house and is flush with the north façade of the original kitchen.

Combined, the north façade of the addition and the original kitchen measures

25’1” wide. The addition consists of two stories and three bays. The bottom

story contains three one-‐over-‐one-‐light double-‐hung sash windows. The top

story is a screened-‐in sleeping porch. The addition features a flat roof and

extends to the south façade of the original house. There are no gutters

present on the north façade of the addition. The north façade of the original

kitchen features a gabled roof that faces west. There is one bay with a one-‐

over-‐one-‐light double-‐hung sash window. There are gutters and a downspout

present on the north façade of the original kitchen.

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Figure 9: (Photo A7) Northeast corner of house, showing east and north façades (Photo courtesy of Aretha Hills, 2015)

Figure 10: (Photo A8) North façade of addition and original kitchen (Photo courtesy of Charlie McAnulty, 2015)

The west façade of the house consists of the small portion of the west façade

on the north end of the original house that is exposed, the west façade of the

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original kitchen and the west façade of the addition. The entire west façade

measures 45’-‐8” wide. The small portion of the west façade of the original

house measures 4’5” wide. The west façade of the original kitchen measures

15’-‐8” wide and sits forward 13’ from the west façade of the addition,

creating an L-‐shape. The west façade of the original original kitchen is one

story and features one bay with a single casement window that has six lights

in each of the opening panels. There is a metal awning present over the

window.

The west façade of the addition consists of six bays and two stories. The top

story is a screened-‐in sleeping porch. The bottom story features five one-‐

over-‐one-‐light double-‐hung sash windows. The rear entry door of the house

is on the west façade of the addition and is constructed of wood. The door

features nine lights in a three-‐over-‐three pattern and is covered by a cloth

awning.

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Figure 11: (Photo A9) West façade (Photo courtesy of Phil Gonzalez, 2015)

Figure 12: (Photo A10) West façade of original kitchen (Photo courtesy of Phil Gonzalez, 2015)

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The south façade consists of the inset south façade of the original kitchen, the

south façade of the addition, and the south façade of the original house. The

south façade of the addition and the original house measures at 47’-‐9” wide,

while the south façade of the inset original kitchen measures 13’ wide. The

south side of the orignal kitchen consists of one story and one bay. There is

an entry door with a screened-‐in door and a metal awning. Metal gutters and

a downspout are present.

The south façade of the addition measures 12’ wide and consists of two

stories, with the top being a screened-‐in sleeping porch. The bottom story

consists of a pair of one-‐over-‐one-‐light double-‐hung sash windows. There are

no gutters or downspouts present. The south façade of the original house

resembles the north façade and is 35’-‐8” wide and 31’-‐9-‐ ¼” high. The south

façade features three bays and two-‐and-‐one-‐half stories. The bottom two

stories feature two six-‐over-‐six-‐light double-‐hung sash windows. There are

no shutters present, however, hangers where shutters appear to have once

existed remain. The top story features one set of two six-‐over-‐six-‐light

double-‐hung sash windows. The windows on the top story are located

between the two bays of the bottom stories. The windows on the original

portion contain drip caps. There are no gutters or downspouts present.

There are several mechanical systems present on the exterior of the home.

There is a small HVAC system which goes only to the second story of the

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south façade. There are gas meters on the north façade which may or may

not be presently used. There are electricity and water also currently going

into the house.

Figure 13: (Photo A11) South façade of original kitchen (Photo courtesy of Aretha Hills, 2015)

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Figure 14: (Photo A12) South façade (Photo courtesy of Charlie McAnulty, 2015)

III. CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Assessment of Conditions

Foundation: The foundation is composed of brick piers along with either

terraced brick infill or bricks or concrete masonry units stacked at random

between the piers. While the brick piers contain historic mortar, many of

them, such as the one located at the southwest corner of the original house,

have badly deteriorated mortar joints. Some of the infill between the brick

piers is missing, creating space for small animals to gain access to the

crawlspace. Some of the brick piers have vegetation growing out from them

or up against them.

Siding: The paint features cracking and alligatoring throughout. There is a

piece of clapboard that has rotted around an electric outlet on the west

façade of the addition. This will allow moisture to enter behind the outlet and

may be a fire hazard. There is rot present in the doorframe of the rear entry

door of the west façade. There are various microclimates present caused by

vegetation growing too closely to the house. This vegetation is holding

moisture close to the house. There is a large tree leaning toward the

northeast corner of the front porch and original house.

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Drainage: The downspout on the southeast corner of the front porch has

come loose and does is not secure. Therefore, water is allowed to fall down

beside the porch and accumulate. The gutter on the north side of the original

kitchen is not flush with the roofline. The gutter sags and allows water to fall

and accumulate near the foundation, causing a microclimate on the wood

siding. Some of the downspouts do not have downspout extenders.

Figure 15: (Photo A13) Brick foundation pier with deteriorated mortar (Photo courtesy of Stacy Rieke, 2015)

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Figure 16: (Photo A14) Brick foundation pier with deteriorated mortar and no downspout extender (Photo courtesy of Phil Gonzalez, 2015)

Figure 17: (Photo A15) Open space in foundation (Photo courtesy of Nicole Gilbert, 2015)

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Figure 18: (Photo A16) Paint cracking on north façade (Photo courtesy of Phil Gonzalez, 2015)

Figure 19: (Photo A17) Rotted clapboard on west façade (Photo courtesy of Phil Gonzalez, 2015)

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Figure 20: (Photo A18) Microclimate caused by vegetation too close to house (Photo courtesy of Nicole Gilbert, 2015)

Figure 21: (Photo A19) Microclimate caused by vegetation too close to house and leaking gutter (Photo courtesy of Nicole Gilbert, 2015)

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Figure 22: (Photo A20) Downspout not connected and leaking (Photo courtesy of Phil Gonzalez, 2015)

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Figure 23: (Photo A21) Gutter sagging and leaking (Photo courtesy of Charlie McAnulty, 2015)

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Recommendations

It should be noted that all recommendations adhere to Secretary of the

Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

Prioritized Repairs

A. Emergency Repair – Complete as soon as possible

B. Near Term – Complete within 1 year

C. Long Term – Complete within 5 years

Foundation

B. It is recommended that the deteriorated mortar joints be repointed.

Retain the services of a consultant, such as a historic architect or the State

Historic Preservation Officer, to help develop a plan to repoint the

deteriorated mortar joints. Make absolute sure to find an appropriate

mortar match via the services of a professional.

B. It is recommended that the missing brick infill between the brick piers be

replaced to eradicate access for small animals to the crawlspace.

B. It is recommended that all vegetation growing from or against the brick

foundation be removed.

Siding

B. It is recommended that the existing paint be removed by hand scraping

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or sanding. Choose one of the following repainting options from NPS

Preservation Brief 10: Exterior Paint Problems on Historic Woodwork:

"(1) an oil primer may be applied followed by an oil-‐type top coat,

preferably by the same manufacturer; or (2) an oil primer may be applied

followed by a latex top coat, again using the same brand of paint. It should

also be noted that primers were never intended to withstand the effects

of weathering; therefore, the top coat should be applied as soon as

possible after the primer has dried.”

B. Replace rotted clapboard on south façade with same or similar material

and color.

B. Replace rotted wood in doorframe of rear entry door on west façade with

same or similar material and color.

B. It is recommended that all vegetation be cleared 24” away from the

house. Clean any mildew off the siding using the gentlest means possible.

C. A professional arborist should be consulted regarding the leaning tree

and whether it is in danger of falling onto the house.

Drainage

B. It is recommended that the downspout on the southeast corner of the

front porch be reattached and secured allowing for water to flow

continuously down the downspout and out through the downspout

extender.

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B. It is recommended that the gutter on the north side of the original kitchen

be reattached at the roofline allowing rainwater to exit through the

downspout.

Routine Maintenance

TASK FREQUENCY

Mow grass Weekly during growing season

Trim vegetation away from house Monthly during growing season

Clean gutters Semi-‐annually

Replace battery in smoke detector Annually

Have working chimneys cleaned Annually

Periodic Inspections

INSPECTIONS BY HOMEOWNER FREQUENCY

Roof (roofing, chimneys, gutters) Annually

Walkway, driveway, walls, fences Annually

Patio, porch, entrance, garage Annually

Walk through house to check for needed interior repairs—after rain

Annually

Walk around house to check for needed exterior repairs—during rain

Annually

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INSPECTIONS BY PROFESSIONALS FREQUENCY

Termite and other insect/pest inspection

Annually

HVAC inspection, servicing Twice/year

Fire suppression system inspection Annually

Security system Annually

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REFERENCES Mack, Robert, FAIA and John Speweik. Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings. Washington, D.C.: Technical Preservation Services Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1998. Weeks, Kay and David Look, AIA. Preservation Brief 10: Exterior Paint Problems on Historic Woodwork. Washington, D.C.: Technical Preservation Services Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1982. Park, Sharon, AIA. Preservation Brief 39: Holding the Line: Controlling Unwanted Moisture in Historic Buildings. Washington, D.C.: Technical Preservation Services Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1996. National Park Service. "United States Secretary of the Interior’s Secretary's Standards for Rehabilitation." Accessed Online October 7, 2014. http://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm.

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APPENDICES APPENDIX A: Site Plan

Site Plan (not to scale)

Site Plan with Photograph Key (not to scale)

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APPENDIX B: Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation The Standards (Department of Interior regulations, 36 CFR 67) pertain to historic buildings of all materials, construction types, sizes, and occupancy and encompass the exterior and the interior, related landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction. The Standards are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility. 1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment. 2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. 3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken. 4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved. 5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved. 6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence. 7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. 8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken. 9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and

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architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. 10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

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